I’m not much of a poker player — blogger budgets don’t allow for that type of thing — but at a few different points in time, I’ve put my big boy pants on and pushed my chips to the middle of the table and went all-in. It’s a moment that fills you with terror and relief — which is kind of an odd combination. While you’re fearing that you’ll never see those chips again, you’re simultaneously glad you don’t have the onus of controlling your own fate any longer.

The Clippers may have folded in the Neil Olshey negotiation and saw a free flop with the Vinny Del Negro option pick up, but the acquisition of Lamar Odom was a nice fat stack of chips pushed to the middle — a risky move that could pay huge dividends. Signing Jamal Crawford was putting the rest of the chips in the center. Adding Grant Hill and Ryan Hollins? The equivalent of throwing in the car keys and the fake gold watch on to the pile.

And you know what? I’m impressed. It’s not because I agree with every individual move, because I don’t. But I am impressed with the cohesiveness of the front office’s plan and their ability to see it all the way through and never waver. The Clippers are absolutely all-in, and all on the same page. Is it ideal to have a head coach fighting for his job and a star point guard on an expiring contract make the decisions for a franchise that will exist beyond this year? Probably not, but at least the hand is being played accordingly.

If Del Negro truly means it when he says, “There’s not been one that was our first choice who we haven’t gotten,” then there has to be a sense of relief accompanying that thought. Paul, likely the most powerful player in the league right now in terms of personnel decisions, should probably feel the same way. If they lose on the river (or riverwalk as the case may be), it won’t be because the general plan at the outset was flawed. The execution of the plan? Maybe, but not the plan itself. Can you really find fault in the Clippers wanting to appease Chris Paul, both by setting themselves up to win this year and bringing in players he goes to bat for? It’s pretty hard to, because the Clippers aren’t what they are without Paul.

With that in mind, it’s hard to find any fault in the Clippers using their Bi-Annual exception to sign Grant Hill.

Yes, he’s old. He’ll be 40 years old by the time the season starts. But as the Lakers also showed this offseason, you play to your plan. So what if Grant Hill disintegrates into nothingness like old dude from Raiders of the Lost Ark next season? As long as he can help this year, that’s all that matters.

It’s funny, because the Hill signing actually makes the Crawford signing more palatable. It’s the same theory — if you have to pay Jamal Crawford 5 million next year (and possibly the next two years) but you have Chris Paul to show for it, so what? The thought process makes sense if keeping Paul is the sole objective.

And no, it’s not a coincidence that the Clippers just signed two of the nicest guys in the league in Crawford and Hill. We get caught up in so many other things, but it’s kind of great working with friendly people you enjoy spending time with. If Charlie Widdoes and Andrew Han were like Rasual Butler (he was always kind of the worst), coming back to ClipperBlog next year wouldn’t be nearly as enticing for me, you know? Paul will get wooed by his huge group of friends sprinkled throughout the league, but the Clippers have created a solid environment in Los Angeles for him with solid dudes slated to return next year. That matters.

But now let’s (finally) get to the real meat of it all — how do Grant Hill and Ryan Hollins fit with the Clippers as basketball players?

It’s a killer signing for the intangibles that Hill brings to the table — his experience, leadership, pretty much all of the same things you can say for Chauncey. What gets me most excited about Hill though is his defense. Yes, he’ll be 40 years old and he might lose another step, but Hill is routinely praised as one of the smartest, most capable defenders in the league who can stop wings and shift down a spot and defend post players, which is something we’ve seen him do against Blake Griffin plenty. Hill’s experience as a help defender and firm grasp on when to rotate should greatly benefit a Clippers’ defense that struggled mightily with teams who moved the ball.

When the Clippers swap out Caron Butler for Hill, they shouldn’t lose much. Butler and Hill’s rebounding numbers are nearly identical, and both make their money offensively as mid-range shooters. Like Butler, Hill has grown to depend more and more on others creating shots for him — something you can afford to do when Steve Nash or Chris Paul are your point guards. Hill’s experience working off the ball, finding creases in the defense and properly spacing the floor will be a welcome addition, as it takes a special kind of scorer to work off a ball-dominant point guard. Hill won’t take many shots from behind the arc (about 1.5 a game the last few years), and that’s a good thing because he’s sporadic from out there. After hitting 43 percent three seasons ago, Hill hit just 26% last year. Good news is, Hill is much more reliable and consistent when he takes a few steps in from the 16-23 foot range, where he’s shot between 40-46% in 5 of his last 6 seasons according to HoopData.com.

Although his points come in a similar fashion to Butler, he’s a much more complete player. Hill has great court vision and is a selfless team player, and he’s never afraid to make the extra pass. You could make the argument for starting Hill over Butler, but considering how Butler has a tendency to start games hot and the age of the two players, it’s probably best to leave that alone.

That said, Hill could be the starting 2-guard once the season kicks off. I’ll eat my computer if Chauncey Billups is ready for the opener (more on that in another post soon), and Vinny Del Negro might like the idea of leaving Jamal Crawford in the Mo Williams role of a true 6th man. Eric Bledsoe would be the obvious choice given how successful he’s been in lineups playing next to Paul in the regular season and playoffs, but he’ll also have full backup point guard duties without Billups active. That might leave the job to Hill until Billups is fully healed.

Even if that isn’t the case, Hill is a great insurance option for the injury-prone Butler, and a phenomenal alternative to throwing Jamal Crawford at the 3 — something that should never, ever happen. Hill fills the need of a wing defender with size, but he also provides much more than that. There are natural concerns that he’s no longer quick enough on the perimeter or that his shot isn’t sharp enough from behind the arc or that he wasn’t allowed to bring Phoenix’s medical staff as a carry-on item with him to Los Angeles, and those are all valid points. But for the price, it’s hard to imagine the Clippers could have signed a better all-around player. He’s not the FILA wearing, Sprite slamming All-Star we all remember, but Hill is never going to embarrass himself out there. Great pickup.

Ryan Hollins

Pros: Very tall, jumps very high.

Cons: Incapable of grabbing things while being very tall and jumping very high.

It’s a bit troubling that the Clippers replaced Randy Foye (38.6% from 3), Mo Williams (38.9%), and Nick Young (35.3% — but one of the best corner 3 guys in basketball) with Jamal Crawford (30.8%) and Grant Hill (26.4%) out on the perimeter.

Getting Chauncey Billups back will help (38.4% from 3) and Lamar Odom may be able to pinch in (31%), but the Clippers are going to be hard-pressed to shoot as well as they did from 3 last year (12th in the league) given their roster changes. That’s a big deal for a team that took the 5th most 3-pointers (using 3-point rate) in the league last year. If the Clippers are to remain a top-5 offense, they’ll have to find other ways to score.

Of course, that has nothing to do with Ryan Hollins, but it serves to a greater point. One of the reasons the Clippers could overcome their 18th ranked defense and have such a good year was because they hit the glass hard, particularly on the offense end. The Clippers finished 7th in total rebounding rate, bolstered heavily by the 4th place ranking in offensive rebounding rate.

Obviously Reggie Evans was a big part of that. Lamar Odom is a terrific defensive rebounder, but his more perimeter-oriented offensive attack keeps him away from the offensive glass.

After trading Evans for the right to swap draft picks in 2018 when hopefully life is just like The Jetsons told us it would be, the Clippers effectively lost a big chunk of what made them successful on the glass. At least in that regard, they found quite literally the worst possible replacement for Reggie Evans in Ryan Hollins.

Hollins is one of the worst rebounding centers ever, and that’s not hyperbole. His numbers alone are laughable for a 7-footer (6.3 rebounds per 36 minutes), and it’s not an exaggeration to say Reggie is twice the rebounder Hollins is…because he actually is. Reggie Evans’ career total rebounding percentage? 21.1 percent. Ryan Hollins? 10 percent.

But it’s not that Hollins doesn’t live up to Evans as a rebounder — very few guys not named Dennis Rodman do. It’s just that Hollins’ last 3 seasons all registered in the top 20 of worst rebounding seasons for a 7-footer ever. In basketball history. Yeah.

I know, you get it, Hollins can’t rebound. So what can he do?

Well, he can jump and dunk, which is probably enough for the most MacGuyverish of all the point guards out there to work with. He’s mobile, which is nice, and one can only hope he picked up something from Kevin Garnett during his time in Boston in the way of communicating on the backline/headbutting things. Hollins isn’t much of a shotblocker, as he’s lost something in that regard since his foul rate has dropped. He’s active defensively though, and will at least attempt to break up a pick and roll instead of rolling out the red carpet.

There aren’t many decent big men available for the league minimum, so bringing Hollins back home to Los Angeles (born in Pasadena, went to UCLA) and pairing him with an expert lob artist isn’t the worst thing. Given the objective, tutoring a young big man through playing time didn’t seem like an option or something that interests Vinny Del Negro. If Hollins could shoot free throws at a higher clip (64 percent career) or hit the glass in a non-Jamal Crawford like way, he’d be a much better fit. As it is, he’s an athlete with 6 fouls to give.

The Clippers may have lost something with their 3-point shooting on the perimeter, although both Crawford and Hill should certainly perform better than last year in that area. The Clippers may have also taken a hit on the boards, but a revitalized Lamar Odom should be able to limit the damage. But with Hill, and to a far lesser extent Hollins, the Clippers gained ground defensively, which is absolutely their biggest need going into next season.

The Clippers have star power, the mix of young players and veterans, and more depth than just about anyone — but now there’s a need for the creation of a better system to maximize it all. By their own design, the Clippers and Vinny Del Negro will have one season to do just that.

Good read. I think Crawford never fit with the blazers, especially with their tumultuous locker room last year. We should just overlook his stats last year as his roll on our team will be far different for him, and far more comfortable.

Apostolos

I’m with you on Crawford I mean he’s never played with a good point guard for one. And last year he had to start with Raymond felton who couldn’t make any shots so the defense usually loaded up on Crawford.

extra

the potential 4 this team 2 be better than last year team is high they need 2 get a atheletic wing player with younger legs in this league it is a must 2 be able 2 cover wings and fast break 4 easy offense

jet chicken

Some punctuation would be greatly appreciated.

And at first glance, I thought you were going 2 be talking about shooting guards and power 4wards.

JaySee

It’s interesting that everyone assumes this team is better than last years, but as you pointed out, the Clippers will lose 2 of their strengths from last year. The overall talent level has undoubtedly improved, but the strengths of the team are gone. The Clips will have to make up for the loss of 3s and rebounding in all the other aspects, hopefully DEFENSE!

D.J. Foster

Agree completely. Writing this article just made me realize how important Lamar Odom really is this season. If he’s engaged and back to his old ways, the Clippers can still be a solid rebounding team. But if he’s not, and last year wasn’t a fluke, things will get ugly quick.

Of course, I also think it’s fair to expect the young guys to improve. Although on paper the Clippers may have regressed on the boards and their 3-point shooting, you can’t account for the development of Blake, Bledsoe, Thompkins and DJ as players. They could help make up for the potential losses quite a bit just by getting a year wiser.

Apostolos

Suprised to see you take such a 180 on the Clippers moves this summer DJ,Odom I really think will have a great year because for one he’s back in L A where he’s comfortable,and two because he’s playing for one more good contract and to stay in the league(or L A)<oh and the Lakers don't really have the cap room to bring him back next year unless Bynum bails on the Lakers(possible scenario though). Also Odom never had a problem coming off the bench and usually rebounding and defense don't go away which is what we need the most.

Crawford has never played with a good point guard before and last year he had to play with Raymond Felton who statistacly at least was one of the worst PG's in the league(he can't shoot). The best part is that Crawford came knowing he'll be coming off the bench and is all good with that(unlike Mo Williams last year<he even has said he will be happy to play off Bledsoe).

Grant Hill we all know can still play I don't understand why people talk about his age when we saw first hand last year how well he can still play, when during the same game he would shut down Blake,and even CP3 in stretches. Besides that he'll be splitting the minutes with Caron so they both won't have to play more then 20minutes a game.

Ryan Hollins really doesn't make sence I think most of us would have rather kept Reggie but maybe that's why were going after Malcolm Thomas.I also think Odom will be backing up DJ and playing at the 5 on most nights anyways so It's not a big deal that Hollins can't rebound that well.

Also having Grant Hill and Caron for the next 2 years I would hope whoever our GM is or will be will be smart enough to try to bring in a young SF to learn and play under these two guys for a year like weve brilliantly done with Eric Bledsoe(Billups,CP3,Mo). <Probably through the draft,or maybe an Austin Daye type if he'ld sign for 3-5 mil a year(he is from L A after all so possible).

I mean if we can get a young SG/SF with size that can defend next summer then even without the veterans will have DJ,Blake,?,Bledsoe,and CP3 to build on most teams wish they had that kind of future talent.

D.J. Foster

No 180 here. Still don’t like the Crawford signing and still don’t think the Clippers addressed the right needs properly. Hill makes me feel better about their chances as a team defense, but I still think that’s what will keep them away from being a championship caliber team.

Apostolos

I agree DJ(I was joking about the 180 anyways),we could still be a good defensive team with the right coach or system though.

a lineup of DJ/Odom,Blake,Hill,Bledsoe,and CP3 I think could possibly defend real well.

But yeah I’m with you we still haven’t filled our holes properly thats why I mentioned a younger SF that can defend,a SG would help as well(and of course a new coach). But hey all these can still happen next year,I just wanna see our team improve

D.J. Foster

You scared me, made me think I was losing my mind and spinning around all willy nilly.

Apostolos

Hahaah maybe you are,also I know you’re not a fan of Crawford but im pretty sure you would agree he’s an upgrade over Mo Williams playing at shooting guard

Clipped

Minus KMart & Reggie, this team is still weaker on the paint. That’s going to hurt during fiercely fought closie out games.

You let go of those 2 players only if you’re going land Dwight or Tyson Chandler.
Or Bynum(for CP3)

Patrick

There just isn’t enough thumbs down for that comment, clipped.

DeMote DeAndre

I completely agree with the above comment by Clipped.

I actually don’t understand how anybody could disagree with it.

Bongstradamus

*shocked!*

Props dude, you get a thumbs up just for hitting “reply”!

The Blakers

Clippers will have a dangerous 9 man lineup this yr in CP3, Bledsoe, Chauncey, Crawford, Caron, Hill, Blake, Odom, and DJ. And then we have Hollins and THompkins lurking in the back. That depth will really help us improve from where we ended up last year

Clipped

Offensively GRIFFIN can reap a bundle.
Defensively GRIFFIN might have to work extra hard.

DeAndre + all these softies(including CP3) aren’t going to help Griffin much.
Hey, Griffin might keep Bledsoe in his pocket to save some energy.

Tim

DJ made valid points. The front office did a masterful job bringing guys here who Chris Paul likes, and feels comfortable playing with. That was the plan, executed perfectly. Come summer time next year, Paul will have to decide between leaving His team in LA, where he is the unquestioned team leader, and basically the architech, leaving a team with all of His favorite guys who he recruited, and leaving a team who has the leverage of paying him more than any other team, and leaving a team with a younger up and coming superstar, who is already under contract for the next 5 years. Question, what can other franchises offer Chris Paul more than what he already has here, and there is no better location in the nation for an NBA-player, than Los Angeles. The other parts are interchangeable through out the years, on relatively short contracts, and Chris Paul has knowledge that the front office is willing to listen to his demands, and he knows he can’t expect that from where ever else he might end up, if he leaves LA. Add the Vinny factor, everybody loves Vinny. Vinny is the company guy, from the Owner down to the last guy on the bench, Vinny knows how to work the room. They created the best environment to re-sign a future Hall of Fame superstar point guard, and having that as plan A, was a no-brainer. Credit the loudest voice in the room!

Clips4

VDN knows how to work a room but he lacks everything else as a coach in terms of ability.

Tim

Could it be that Vinny is auditioning for the GM position? One more year as head coach, and then making the jump to the front office? That might fit his skill set a lot better than head coach, given his background with the Suns organization. I wonder who Vinny would hire as his replacement?

Clips4

I agree with you here, Tim. I think VDN is a better GM so far than he has ever been a head coach.

Clipper Derrick

I second this.

WammyGiveaway

I never considered this. If Vinny gets promoted to general manager, it would be very wise of him to resign as coach (Mike DunLeavy, Sr. anybody?) – that would mean an instant opening for a replacement.

The Clippers are definitely going to keep things in-house and make Robert Pack the head coach should Vinny decide to switch jobs (Pack had a 2-3 record for this year’s summer league). But what if they decide to pick somebody from outside the franchise? Their replacement could have “inexperienced” written on his resume and “lame duck” for the coaching position all over again (“same old Clippers”) *OR* it could be a culture-changing move for the better in the form of a winning coach like Phil Jackson or a match made in heaven like Nate McMillan or Mike D’Antoni (“not your grand daddy’s Clippers”).

I am not saying that the Clippers will get these big names; rather, the promoting of Vinny Del Negro as GM and resignation as head coach for the Clippers, combined with the signing of a true head coach – one who knows a system, how to use his players, and above all, win – will only prove that this franchise means serious business. It would make Rosner Del Sacksgro the greatest short-lived GM of all time and Neil Olshey’s departure to Portland a mere footnote in Clipper history (insert Dan LeBatard rant here).

ken

Crawford is top 25 in the league ALL TIME in 3pt fgs made along with Chauncey . The Clippers got better three point shooting not worse .

Crawford also despite being played out of position at times and having his minutes cut because of it still finished 10 in the nba in scoring amongst shooting guards . Outside of the top 5/6 shooting guards there are maybe 1 or 2 that are as explosive as Crawford right now and we just got Crawford for a fraction of what any non rookie deal sg is making .

Crawfords made it into the top 25 having never actually played with anyone that set him up for open shots the way CP3 will. He will thrive and put up big numbers with CP3

D.J. Foster

I can get with the logic that Crawford will see his numbers jump because he’s playing with Chris Paul. That makes sense.

However, he’ll have to see a huge jump from his career 34.8% 3-point shooting clip to get where Foye and Williams were last year. Is that possible? Yes. Should it be accepted as a sure thing? Probably not.

JaySee

Making a lot of 3 pointers is inevitable if you shoot a lot. Take a good look at that list and you’ll see players that are NOT good 3pt shooters.
2. Jason Kidd
13. Jamal Crawford
15. Baron Davis
20. Hedo Turkoglu
23. Tracy McGrady
33. Meta World Peace
34. Jerry Stackhouse
36. Al Harrington
37. Kirk Heinrich
39. LeBron James
I wouldn’t call any of these players knock down 3pt shooters.

JaySee

Oops! Scratch Hinrich off that list.

http://www.clipsnation.com Lawler’s Law

So I take it, Hollins is step down for the team in the rebound department….

Responding to . . .
“Grant Hill we all know can still play I don’t understand why people talk about his age”

Because his age obviously is catching up with him. It hurt him, especially his 3 point shooting, last season, and it will hurt him even more this season since he’s another year older.

Three seasons ago, Grant Hill shot 44% in threes.
Two seasons ago, he shot 40% in threes.
Last season in threes he shot a miserable 26%. Huge drop off.

DeMote DeAndre

I agree with most of the stuff said about Ryan Hollins.

He’s a good high jumper and cleared 6’10” for the UCLA track and field team, which is more notable than anything he did for the UCLA basketball team where in 4 years I don’t think he ever started a game.

The main thing about Hollins is that, for all of his weaknesses, he still is better than DeAndre Jordan.

Hollins isn’t much of a free throw shooter but he’s a significantly better one than Jordan is. That will help some.

He’s only got a mediocre little mid range jumper, but that’s a way better jumper than Jordan will ever have, and that mediocre jumper will help some too.

He also can play a little defense, though he too gets pushed around, but the little defense he can play is far more than the no defense Jordan plays, so that will help a little too.

Neither he nor Jordan have a post game, but Hollins is a little closer to having one. But that’s not really enough to help.

Odom should start at center and Hollins should back him up and Jordan should be gone.

http://barmapla.com FD

I think the Clippers will be able to get someone a little better than Hollins before the season starts. They need one more big guy.

Clipped

They are still trying to land a premier BIG. We have to be patient.

Don’t be surprised if they acquire Marc or Pau or Lopez by sending DeAndre and Butler.

Bongstradamus

Dude, Hollins will make DJ look like a first team all-NBA defender.

Hollins cant even rebound a drunk fat chick that just broke up with her boyfriend. There’s something kind of amazing about that.

DeMote DeAndre

I do understand that it’s a good thing to let Chris Paul have the players around him that he asks for, and that makes signig Billups (who probably won’t even play this coming season) and Crawford understandable. But it doesn’t make those signings a plus for the team being better next season.

I also agree the Clippers are going to miss Kenyon Martin and Reggie Evans inside and Mo Williams and Randy Foye outside.

Lamar Odom starting at center is the only good thing that can come of the off season changes.

Kyle

Demote “Broken Record” DeAndre, you guys

Liveperl

Let me dissect the truth from posts above. The Clips wil be fine shooting 3’s. Do you really think Foye or Williams will come close to last year’s shooting percentages playing with point guards not named Chris Paul? The only pure shooter that got away was Young, but he was a liability on defense. This team might not take as many 3’s (still a low percentage shot even for the best shooters) and instead be more efficient on offense with more 2 ‘s per game.

Odom (if right) is the key to a productive and dangerous 2nd unit. What team, right now, has a better bench than the Clips? With Billups “healthy”, Blake – a year older and better and Paul being Paul – what’s not to like with the starters?

The only question remains DJ. He must get better. All the other pieces are there. If DJ can improve – this Clip team has as good a shot of any to win a championship.

Yck1000

I don’t think this is addressed enough: Because of all of Hill’s ankle injuries and missed time, his NBA odometer is lower than one would expect for a 40-year old. Great pick up for the Clips!

john steppling

Losing evans and Kenyon hurts. I do not understand why Evans in particular was let go. He was the soul of the defesne. Rebounded and added toughness. Now you have odem….and who knows where his head is. What we DO KNOW is he quit on his team last season. Grant Hill is 40. He cannot play as many minutes and frankly, wasnt looking that great at times last year. Good locker room guy. Bledsoe is great…..and is going to get more minutes. Hollins is awful. Turieff awful. These are stiffs. You wont have Evans around to protect the paint. I dont see better at all.

Bongstradamus

ClipperBlog MOCK GM still needs some GM’s and Agents, the Clippers are still available to manage.